Co-Parent, Second-Parent & Step-Parent

Adoption is another method for establishing the legal parentage of intended parents. Our office frequently files and completes adoptions for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. A step-parent adoption is normally filed for heterosexual couples when one or both are not recognized as legal parents. A co-parent adoption, sometimes called a second-parent adoption, is normally filed for a same-sex couple under the same circumstances. Unlike birth orders, adoptions are filed after the birth of the child. For same-sex couples, a co-parent adoption is required in most states to give the non-legal parent legal status as the parent of the child.